Next meeting is Saturday, March 9, 2002, from 1pm to 11pm. Thank you kind folks who brought munchies in January. Cookies, Cheez-its and sodas are on hand for next meeting. Dinner break is 7-8pm. Back rooms are off-limits except for the women's lounge. On the schedule is another Hong Kong movie on DVD, VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST, the concluding episodes of LEGEND OF BASARA, READ OR DIE 1-2, the complete REBOOT movie of "Daemon Rising", and some surprises.

Subscriptions to this newsletter are available, 3 issues for $1.80, 6 issues for $3.60. Make checks payable to Laurine White or send unused postage stamps. If your subscription is expiring, ask to be added to the personal distribution list for the newsletter (it's not an attachment) Just send me an email. Remember, if you change your email address, please let me know, so I can keep you on the distribution list. Also let me know if your email is set up to reject distribution list emails.

Recommended anime shopping: Nikaku Animart, 615 North 6th Street, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 971-2822, (website - www.nikaku.com) for anime CDs, LDs, books, posters, etc. Send a long SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) for their latest catalog. I (Laurine White) have Japanese CDs for sale: RED - music soundtrack album from STEAM BOY DETECTIVE and BLUE, a drama album, same anime series, $10 for the set; ULTRAMAN ACE double CD set ($15); SFX GRAFFITI-ULTRAMAN - 4 CDs for $20; SHADOW SKILL original music soundtrack double CD set, very nice music for $15. I also have a non-commercial copy of DRAGONS FOREVER for $2.

Convention News: Fanimecon 2002 will be April 26-28, 2002 at the Santa Clara Westin & Convention Center. Guests include Mari Iijima, Hiroyuki Yamaga (FLCL) and Takami Akai. Hotel rates are $99 for single and double occupancy, $109 for triple and quad. Make reservations at the hotel's central reservations office at 1-888-627-8045, and mention Fanimecon 2002 convention discount rate. Registration is currently $40 until April 1; make checks payable to "Anime Resource Group". Contact address is FanimeCon 2002, PO Box 8068, San Jose, CA 95155-8068. Website is www.fanime.com Dealers contact Andy Scheffler at dealers@fanime.com

WonderCon - the Oakland ComicBook Convention, is April 19-21 (the week before Fanime) at the Oakland Convention Center and Oakland Marriott at City Center, Oakland. For more info, check the WonderCon website at www.wondercon.com. At-the-door prices are $15 for one-day and $35 for all 3 days. Tickets may be available at your local comics store. San Francisco's Cherry Blossom Festival is also going on this weekend.

Rightstuf (www.rightstuf.com) News - Media Blasters will release all 25 BERSERK episodes, on 5 separate volumes, in 2002. Tokyopop is now releasing all its new anime series on DVD only. GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA will be released only on DVD, and SAINT TAIL DVDs will only have English subtitles, no dubs, but increasing from 4 to 7 episodes per disc. ADV has announced the EVA Perfect Collection DVD Box set, with a remastered DVD 1 and fixed insert for DVD 2. FUNimation has acquired the rights to the anime series, FRUIT BASKET, and plans to release it this year.

Zentertainment (www.zentertainment.com) News: Mainframe Entertainment plans to make a CGI comedy series based on the famous skateboarder, Tony Hawk, who will be Executive Producer. // The Alien Vs Predator movie remains a possibility. // Fox will be making the LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN movie, based on Alan Moore's comicbook mini-series. Stephen Norrington (BLADE) will direct it, and Sean Connery just may star. The mini-series features Mina Harker, Captain Nemo and other literary characters united against a madman. // Jet Li and DMX (co-stars in ROMEO MUST DIE) will be co-starring in CRADLE TO THE GRAVE (or maybe titled M), with a government agent teaming up with a crook (DMX) whose daughter has been kidnapped.

http://www.hkfilm.net/disney/index.html - Here's a website to check out if you're sick of those Miramax morons (Disney) butchering Hong Kong movies for American release, as well as changing perfectly good music soundtracks to some pseudo Chinese soundtrack. Their latest crime is chopping up SHAOLIN SOCCER with plans to release it as KUNG FU SOCCER this spring, dubbed, 20 minutes chopped out, and with a rap soundtrack. Is this any way to treat a Stephen Chow movie?? Check out the above-listed website to protest. Why do those dolts think we were watching Hong Kong movies in the first place? Because we preferred them to the typical Hollywood action movie crap. Now they take the HK movies and reduce them to Hollywood crap. Here's another URL, if you want to sign an online petition to Disney: http://www.petitiononline.com/warthkf/petition.html Not to mention Disney's not releasing Miyazaki's movies in a timely manner to DVD or video, after buying the rights to them.

Celestial Pictures, a Malaysian company, is negotiating rights for English-language release of Shaw Brothers movies on DVD, possibly starting this spring! In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Shaw Brothers was making some great Hong Kong action and sword movies in Mandarin, a few of which got released to American theaters and cut and dubbed for syndication on American tv in the 1980s. As long as Miramax keeps their grubby hands off these great films!

www.aint-it-cool-news.com News - The Tarentino film, KILL BILL, starts filming in June, in Japan, HK, Mexico and the US. Co-starring are Sonny Chiba, Warren Beatty and Uma Thurman. // Jessica Alba (Dark Angel) and James King have signed up to co-star in BULLETPROOF MONK along with Chow Yun Fat. // Michelle Yeoh plans to produce a live action Mulan film. She may also have a cameo in the James Bond film now in production. // Donnie Yen directed the action sequences in SHURAYAKI HIME, otherwise directed by Shinsuke Sato, a violent film with wire fu and Japanese sword fighting. It should get an American theatrical release later this year. // The HK movie studio, Universe, and Warner Brothers plan to co-produce a movie called SWORDSMAN, about a samurai traveling to China, with shooting to begin in August. Dante Lam will direct and Takeshi Kaneshiro may star. // Studio Ghibli's anime version of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (Hauru no Ugoku Shiro) based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, will be released in spring of next year. Hayao Miyazaki is the executive producer,

www.animetourist.com News - Bandai started the theatrical release of the ESCAFLOWNE movie in January in major cities like Vancouver (Canada), Boston, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle.

www.bandai-ent.com News - Bandai will release the recent 13-episode anime KIKAIDER series on DVD starting next August. The first DVD will have episodes 1-4 in both English language and subtitled, with bonus materials.

Diamond PREVIEWS (www.diamondcomics.com) January 2002 for delivery in March '02 (except as noted). Comics - Dark Horse will release ASTRO BOY Vol.2 trade edition by Osamu Tezuka, translated by Fred Schodt on 24 April, b&w, 208 pages, $9.95; and SHADOW STAR: DARKNESS VISIBLE trade edition by Mohiro Kitoh, produced by Studio Proteus, collected fomr SUPER MANGA BLAST #7-12, b&w, 182 pages, April 10, $14.95. Vertigo will release ROBODOJO #2 (of 6), color, 32 pages, $2.95. From Max Comics - BLADE #1 (based on the movie character), 32 pages, for adults, $3, and BLADE 2: BLOODHUNT, the comics adaptation of the new movie, 48 pages, $5.95 (vampires & martial arts; cool!).

Antarctic comics - BATTLE GIRLZ #2 by Rod Espinosa, mech pilots on the edge of the universe, b&w, 24 pages, $3; HOW TO DRAW MANGA #13, B&W, 32 PAGES, $4.95. Comicsone.com - LUPIN III #1 by Monkey Punch, 300 pages, b&w, 4" x 6", $9.95; WILD 7 #4 by Mikiya Mochizuki, 256 pages, b&w, $9.95 (full-size, I assume; I haven't seen any of these Comicsone volumes yet); KAZAN Vol 1 #7 (conclusion) by Gaku Miyao, 202 pages, B&w, $9.95; GINGA LEGEND WEED Vol 1 #3 by Yoshihiro Takahashi, dogs vs humans, 238 pages, b&w, $9.95.

CPM comics - AQUARIUM Vol 1 trade edition by Tomoko Taniguchi, she failed the high school entrance exam and hangs out at the aquarium, 176 pages, b&w, $15.95; GEOBREEDERS Book 1 by Akihiro Ito, 200 pages, $15.95; LODOSS WAR: Chronicles of the Heroid Knight Book 1 by Mizuno & Natsumoto, b&w, 176 pages, $15.95. GrossGen - THE PATH #1 by Marz, Sears, Pennington & Atiyeh, samurai action in a feudal world, color, 32 pages, $2.95. Great Lakes Ninja Brotherhood (really) - INFINITE KUNG FU #1 by Kagan McLeod, martial arts mayhem in old China, 32 pages, b&w, $3. Ironcat - VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU ARTBOOK, art by Narumi Kakinouchi, 82 pages, color, $25. Radio Comix - FURRLOUGH #111, painted cover by Megan Giles, monthly, 32 pages, b&w, $3; MANGAPHILE #15, cover by Michael Vega, articles & info on manga, quarterly, 48 pages, b&w, $4.

Tokyopop - LOVE HINA #1 & 2 (of 4) by Ken Akamatsu, 32 pages, b&w, $3 each; GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ #1 (of 5) by Yadate,Tomino & Tokita, 32 pages, b&w, $3; COWBOY BEBOP #3 & 4 (ends the comics series) by Yukata Nanten, 48 pages, b&w, $3 each; KODOCHA #3 (of 5) by Miho Obana, 48 pages, b&w, $3; MARMALADE BOY #4 (of 5) by Wataru Yoshizumi, 48 pages, b&w, $3; GUNDAM WING: Battlefield of Pacifists Vol 1 trade edition, by Yadate & Tomino, 176 pages, b&w, $10. OK, a ton of titles from Tokyopop, but you might be interested in Tokyopop's Anime Guides - GUNDAM TECHNICAL MANUAL #1: GUNDAM WING, 100 pages, $13; COWBOY BEBOP COMPLETE ANIME GUIDE #2 (of 5), 100 pages, $13.

Books - PARALLEL DUAL ULTIMATE FAN GUIDE, 112 pages, color, $25. Titan is collecting the Transformers Comics in trade editions: TRANSFORMER Vol 3: Primal Scream, 144 pages, color, $20; also available in the series are TRANSFORMERS: All Fall Down, $20; TRANSFORMERS: End of the Road, $20. HOW TO DRAW DRAGON BALL Z by B.S. Watson, 32 pages, color, $5. T-shirts - VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST, sizes L-XL, $17. BATTLE OF THE PLANETS (painted by Alex Ross), L-XL ($18), XXL ($20). YU-GI-OH - Starbuck (black shirt), Kanji Band (red shirt), sizes L-XL $18.

Action Figures - Bandai anime wave - BIG O, COWBOY BEBOP, OUTLAW STAR, $20 each. Robotech - Rick Hunter 6.5" mini-bust, limited edition, $40. Speed Racer Mach 5 plastic model kit (1/25 scale), $18. Jin-Roh 5" action figure, 12 pts of articulation, with 6 weapons, $13. Battle of the Planets 5-piece figure set, 3" high, ships in April, $13. Posters & Prints - Love Hina II print, relaxing by the pool, $6. Masamune Shiro Cyberdelics Compass Print, 24"x36", $6. $20 wall scrolls - Cowboy Bebop duo, Samurai X (Rurou ni Kenshin) Electricity & Trio (2 different ones), Slayers group.

Video/DVD - DEVADASY dub video $20, DVD $25 from AnimeWorks, 75 minutes, only one pair can use the superweapon to protect earth. MAETEL LEGEND by Leiji Matsumoto, dub video $20, DVD $30, 85 minutes, from US Manga Corps. GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka Vol 1 from Tokyopop, episodes 1-4, dub video $20, DVD $30. KNIGHT HUNTERS: Lost Boys, Vol 2 (I think this is the continued adventures of Weiss Kreuz), 125 minutes, from AnimeWorks, dub or sub video $25, DVD $25. ROBOTECH NEW GENERATION Vol 13 & 14, 150 minutes each, $15 each. RONIN WARRIORS (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers), 240 minutes, from Bandai, DVD $20, April. SAMURAI JACK episodes 1-3, video $15, DVD $20.

Diamond PREVIEWS, February 2002 for delivery in April '02 (except as noted). Comics - Dark Horse will release ASTRO BOY Vol.3 trade edition by Osamu Tezuka on May 29, 4.5"x7", 208 pages, b&w, $9.95. Image - BASTARD SWORDSMAN #1 (of 3) by Oeming, Gunter & Shannon, Jiro is a killer of the Koqu Sword School in Manhattan, color, 32 pages, $2.95. Marvel Mangaverse #1, cover by Ben Dunn, monthly, guest stars the Fantastic Four, 32 pages, $3. Antarctic - HOW TO DRAW MANGA #14, b&w, 32 pages, $4.95; MANGAZINE #32, cover by Joe Wight, 140+ pages, $9. Comicsone.com - WILD 7 #5, 200 pages, b&w, $9.95. CPM - MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO BOOK 3, 160 pages, b&w, $15.95. Dreamwave - TRANSFORMERS: Generation 1 #1 (of 6), new Transformers adventures, 32 pages, color, $2.95, foil cover $5.95. Ironcat - NEW VAMPIRE MIYU Vol 2, 216 pages, b&w, $18. Radio Comix - MONSTERS OF ROCK #1 by Michael Vega, goth-inspired look at perils of pop music with furries, 32 pages, b&w, $3. Tokyopop - LOVE HINA 3 & 4 (conclusion) by Ken Akamatsu, b7w, 32 pages, $3 each; COWBOY BEBOP Complete Anime Guide #3 (of 5), 100 pages, $13.

Zines - PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS #71, spotlights 12 new anime series, 76 pages, color, $4.95. T-shirts - Thundercats- Lion_O Sword Temple on black, L-XL, $15. Optimus Prime on yellow, L-XL, $17. Action figures - Battle of the Planets - Jason & Mark 12" figures, $30 each, ship in July. Sangokushi (Romance of 3 Kingdoms) painted Chinese warrior figures from the 1980s tv series (size?), $65 each. BERSERK action figure (Guts) with diorama, 8.5" high, 16 pts of articulation, $25, ships in June. Games - Big Eyes Small Mouth (BESM) 2nd edition from Guardians of Order, updated, streamlined, $25.

DVD/Video - BERSERK Vol 1 from AnimeWorks, 125 minutes, DVD $30, sub or dub video $25. BATTLE SKIPPER DVD from USManga Corps, 90 minutes, $30. BRAIN POWERD Vol 1 DVD 2-set, 3 hours, $45. ASTRO BOY NEW ADVENTURES Vol 3 from Manga Entertainment, dub video $15. FLCL Vol 2 DVD from Synch-point, 60 minutes, $30. KUROGANE COMMUNICATION Vol 2: A Human Presence, 125 minutes, DVD $25, dub video $20. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM movies 1 & 2 DVDs from Bandai, movies from the original tv series, $25 each DVD. SHERLOCK HOUND Case file 2 DVD (Hayao Miyazai) from Pioneer, 125 minutes, $30. SPRIGGAN DVD from AD Vision, 90 minutes, $30. BATTLE OF THE PLANETS Vol 5-6, 50 minutes each, DVD $20 each, video $10 each. TRANSFORMERS Season 1 DVDs 1-4 from Rhino, $20 each. IRON MONKEY the HK movie on DVD, 85 minutes $30. Remember: IRON MONKEY 2nd MOVIE is really awful. Don't buy #2!
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End of March 2002 Anime Sacramento Newsletter

Archived with the permission of the author, Laurine White